Just 25 days into 2024, makeup artist Pat McGrath broke the internet.
The beauty guru, who has spent decades creating some of the most beautiful makeup looks ever seen and shaping makeup trends season after season, was tasked with creating the beauty direction for creative director John Galliano’s Maison Margiela Artisanal Collection during Paris Haute Couture Week.
On Jan. 25, as Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and other stars looked on, models, including actress Gwendoline Christie, made an unforgettable entrance to the presentation.
Of course, McGrath exceeded expectations — and our wildest imaginations — with a makeup look that was her forward-looking take on porcelain-glass skin. It was so hip, in fact, that the internet went crazy in the hours that followed.
A day later, a statement from McGrath’s make-up brand Pat McGrath Labs explained that brows were hidden, “replaced with pencil-thin arches drawn in neutral-toned shadows”, while cream blush was applied to the center of the cheeks “for a doll flush” and “subversive shades” on the lips blood reds and blacks are topped with a translucent sheen for a surreal pout.”
But as for the leather, which everyone’s been talking about, the press release says it’s “coated with a hyper-glossy glaze, mimicking the smooth, reflective quality of glass.”
Glaze? WOAH.
Meanwhile, on Instagram and TikTok, McGrath and her team posted behind-the-scenes footage of the creation of the look, which quickly garnered millions of views, just as many questions and plenty of praise.
“MOTHER THANK YOU FOR BEING AMAZING!” Christie exclaimed in the comments section of one post.
On February 1st, while the world was still clamoring to know what she used and posting their own conspiracy theories about how The Mother (as McGrath is affectionately known) created the look, McGrath announced that she would be going live on social media on February 2nd to reveal her secrets.
“I’ve never seen a makeup look go so viral,” McGrath said during a live demonstration as Christie, as well as countless brands (from Fenty Beauty to Anastasia Beverly Hills), celebrity makeup artists and fans around the world looked on in awe.
With the “whole world” on, “Professor Pat” and her team began their masterclass – and gave viewers a glimpse of her brilliance.
“Working backstage at shows is military precision,” she said of the process.
During the class, McGrath revealed that backstage they had about 30 makeup artists and 15 airbrush machines applying a “mask” that she and her team had concocted using off-the-shelf formulas to the models’ faces.
But before the airbrush magic happened, McGrath and her team walked viewers through the makeup application. First, Divine Skin: Rose 001 The Essence was applied to the skin, followed by Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation with “a little” Kryolan mixed in to give the skin “that otherworldly…30s, porcelain” look.
In some cases, the eyebrows were set flat (ie: blocked eyebrows) using glue sticks or special effects glue. Using a wet brush, her team applied shades from the Mothership 1: Subliminal eyeshadow palette in small thin strokes for a “painted doll effect” and finished with PermaGelUltra Glide Eye Pencil. On the lids, McGrath applied one of her MTHRSHP palettes.
“It’s not perfect. It should be poetic,” McGrath said as she moved on to blush, applying Divine Blush: Legendary Glow Color Balm with her fingers. Tim used a “very light hand” with Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfector Blurring Powder under the eyes for a “pick me up” and blur.
Pro tip (doesn’t everyone?): Tim applied a bit of Blitz Brown eyeliner to the center of the mouth to create depth, and topped it off with Mattrance lipstick.
“With the glass skin, we’ve actually been practicing it for three years,” McGrath revealed as she and her team dived into their glass skin tricks.
First, the special effects, water-based glue was “applied to certain parts of the face” and to increase longevity as the look was meant to last for more than three hours. Then Skin Illustrator was applied as a “stamp”.
Then she revealed the “concoction”: a master mask that included but was not limited to distilled water, Freeman’s Renewing Peel-Off Gel Mask, and Que Bella’s Hydrating Pineapple Peel Off Mask.
“It’s been a real scientific work in progress,” said McGrath, who revealed she’s almost ready to launch her own mask to look at home.
McGrath and her team applied several layers (seven to eight!), putting each one on heat with a hair dryer. FetishEyes Mascara and a custom Lust: Gloss blend completed the look.
McGrath and her team had a call at 7:30 a.m. on the day of the show, which was scheduled to start at 7 p.m. (only 45 minutes late!). Before the show, McGrath and her team presented Galliano with 300 variations of looks, which were assigned to each design.
McGrath and her team explained that at first the process took about 90 minutes to two hours, but once they got the hang of it, two people could cast the look in 45 minutes, or less!
It was a labor of love. “Whenever we get a briefing, we see these beautiful collections. You can’t help but be inspired by watching the magic that we are so fortunate to see,” said McGrath.
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McGrath also shared another heartwarming announcement: She’ll be looking for some of the people she’s seen recreating her looks to be part of her crew. “We would like many of you to join the team because I have seen things that have kept me up at night. You are all wonderful.”
As fans typed comments like “add to cart” and “you’re a genius”, McGrath admired the finished look.
“I was speechless,” she said.
Same, Pat. Same.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education